⏰ Are you a medium friend?

Plus the truth about empaths and surviving election season.

View this email in your browser WEEKLY WIND DOWN 💪 Try this: When you're getting ready today, notice how often your inner critic pops up. Having a negative thought about your looks? Say something kind as you look in the mirror instead. Beating yourself up for running late? Recognize that it's totally human to not always be on time. Shifting the way you speak to yourself can make for a much calmer start to the day. Think on this: How does letting go of anger feel to you? What would help you let go of something pissing you off right now? Remember this: You can do hard things. Read this: How to Mentally Survive Election Season ICYMI 👀 11 conversation starters that will instantly make you feel less awkward Could your SSRI be the reason you're so effing hot this summer? How many "medium friends" do you have? 12 self-care products on Amazon that people swear by  This viral relationship theory isn't all it's cracked up to be HIGHLY RECOMMEND ✨ Anxiety sweat relief: I'm a sweaty person. And you wanna know what makes me sweat even more? Anxiety (because of course I'm also an anxious girlie). Having these oil blotting pads with me—for when I'm bare-faced or wearing makeup—helps me control my anxiety-induced glow. It also just gives me peace of mind knowing I can fit these easily in my pocket or purse wherever I go since anxiety can pop up pretty much anywhere! —Sam Brodsky, Staff Writer THERAPY HACK 💡 Make a social anxiety exposure hierarchy. When you're struggling with social anxiety, every interaction with another person can feel like a scary trap just waiting for you to fall in. But our fears around what might go wrong are often much more extreme than the reality, and the more we can prove that to ourselves, the better. One of the best ways to do this is by challenging yourself to do the opposite of what your social anxiety is telling you to do, says psychologist Katie Fracalanza, PhD. Ultimately this type of exposure to your feared situation shows you that "your anxiety can only go so high, and then it comes down," adds psychologist Angela Neal-Barnett, PhD. Try it: Write down a hierarchy of social situations that give you anxiety from least to most scary so you can gradually work your way up from the bottom of the list to the top. Maybe the bottom of your list includes making small talk with the barista when you order your coffee, while the top involves attending a cocktail party where you only know the host. Although you're sure to have some jitters at first, you'll likely notice that those fade fairly quickly as your comfort level in each situation increases. Were you forwarded this email? Click here to subscribe for free. LET'S DISCUSS 💬 Calling All Empaths: Here's What This Actually Means By Elizabeth Gulino It feels like everyone on the internet has learned the word empath this year: TikTok therapists, Bravolebrities, your last situationship. But as with any mental health-focused trend that gains popularity online, it's hard to discern if everyone is actually using this term correctly. So, what is an empath, exactly?  On the surface (aka social media), it seems like an empath is someone who deeply feels what other people are feeling. If your friend is crying, you're fighting off tears. If your boss is anxious as f*ck for reasons that have nothing to do with you, you're on edge. If the checkout guy at CVS is being Karen-ed by the person ahead of you in line, you get mad too. In the words of Kristin Doute on a recent episode of The Valley: "I cannot help but feel every single person's feelings when I'm in a room, and I take it home with me. It is so hard to be an empath." OK but…isn't everyone capable of feeling other people's feelings—at least some of the time? Whether you identify with the label or not, here's what a few mental health pros say about what it really means to be an empath and how to deal if you can't stop feeling other people's feelings. What is an empath? First, lemme explain empathy, aka the origin story of the empath. Edward Titchener, a psychologist teaching at Cornell University, first came up with the word empathy in 1909 to describe how human beings have the capability to be in tune with another's emotions, per an article in the Journal of Patient Experience.  Today, according to the American Psychological Association, empathy has come to mean the feeling of "understanding a person from their frame of reference rather than one's own, or vicariously experiencing that person's feelings, perceptions, and thoughts." Empathy is the reason you understand that the helpless CVS clerk is freaked out and you might even feel it too. Empathy or emotional sensitivity in general can also exist on a spectrum of sorts, says psychologist Jenny Wang, PhD. "On one end is a complete lack of empathy, sensitivity, and interest in others," she explains. "On the other end, an individual may struggle to differentiate between their own emotional life and the emotional life of others." If you call yourself an empath, you're basically saying that you're so sensitive to other people's emotions that you can physically feel them and, in theory, you might confuse them for your own, says psychiatrist Judith Orloff, MD. You know the phrase "putting yourself in someone else's shoes"? That's basically what an empath is doing at all times, says Dr. Orloff. Keep reading for 3 crucial tips on how to handle being an empath.   READ MORE ON THAT NOTE What Even Are Boundaries and How Should You Set Them? What the Heck Is Trauma Dumping Anyway? READ MORE READ MORE What Even Are Boundaries and How Should You Set Them? READ MORE What the Heck Is Trauma Dumping Anyway? READ MORE 🎧 What we're listening to: You know me better than I know myself. NEED HELP NOW? These resources can help. SAMHSA National Helpline Suicide Prevention Lifeline The Trevor Project Trans Lifeline Advertise With Us PR Inquiries Want to unsubscribe? Click here to take a break.   Copyright © 2022 Wondermind. All rights reserved.   228 Park Avenue South, Suite 26327, New York, NY 10003   All products featured on Wondermind are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.   DISCLAIMER: THIS NEWSLETTER DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE The information contained in this newsletter is for informational purposes only. This newsletter is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. 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